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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22782229">xvii. mind games</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/icymapletree/pseuds/icymapletree'>icymapletree</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>febuwhump/febufluff 2020 [17]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Febuwhump, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Loss of Powers, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Quentin Beck Being a Jerk, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 16:15:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,651</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22782229</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/icymapletree/pseuds/icymapletree</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“You’re just a scared little kid in a sweatsuit!”</p>
<p>He tries what he did on the tower bridge that day, closing his eyes and trusting himself to finish the arc of his swing. His body has done some crazy things before-- dodging bullets, kicking a mad space titan in the face-- but apparently it is too much to ask that he successfully swing from one building to another like he has done every day since he was fourteen years old.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>febuwhump/febufluff 2020 [17]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618837</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>82</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>xvii. mind games</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>look at me uploading on time but still an hour before the date changes lmao</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’ve tried these tricks before, Beck!” Peter shouts, charging toward the man.</p>
<p>He isn’t sure how Beck is going to spin this one-- there are civilians everywhere, people who are witnessing the return of the supposedly dead hero from London. The name ‘Mysterio’ became mainstream, all the while people were condemning Spider-Man for his ‘murderous’ actions.</p>
<p>It took some impressive PR work from Stark Industries to get Peter to be viewed in the innocent light he deserves to be in. They weren’t able to completely erase the positive view of Beck, but Peter was proven innocent and that is all that matters. </p>
<p>The entire time, Tony had sat on the sidelines pouting about being unable to do anything. Pepper had told him that is how retired life is, but all he had in response was a stuck-out bottom lip.</p>
<p>The Starks have been visiting Queens more and more since Peter’s tragic vacation - in fact, they are in town right now, pretending to like May’s cooking.</p>
<p>Peter had darted out of the window without much of a second thought - he could tell with the new sensitivity of his tingle that the matter is urgent. He’s regretting that now, not asking anyone for back-up or even telling them where he was going.</p>
<p>It’s like Beck can read his mind, the man smirks before saying “No little friends from the Avengers coming to help you?”</p>
<p>The air suddenly feels thick and like it’s forcing itself down Peter’s throat. Peter gulps, hacking into his mask. Something thick and congealed comes up, wetting the fabric around his mouth.</p>
<p>Peter fires off a web, thwipping toward the nearest building. Beck laughs like he is expecting this.</p>
<p>“You’re just a scared little kid in a sweatsuit!”</p>
<p>Peter remembers that line from before, the way it had shoved him backward and felt so real. The first time, it didn’t as hard as Beck had wanted. The whole illusion sequence was terrifying, but Peter knew deep down that he could take Beck without his suit. He just had to trust his instincts.</p>
<p>He tries what he did on the tower bridge that day, closing his eyes and trusting himself to finish the arc of his swing. His body has done some crazy things before-- dodging bullets, kicking a mad space titan in the face-- but apparently it is too much to ask that he successfully swing from one building to another like he has done every day since he was fourteen years old.</p>
<p>He plummets toward the pavement and being gravely injured feels <em>inevitable</em>-- as much as he hates that word.</p>
<p>He’s running on pure adrenaline at this point, the fall seemingly happening in slow motion as his mind runs through every possible scenario like a flipbook. It’s pure reasoning-- not even instinct, as his instincts seem to be gone-- to fire a web at the closest surface and try to get up higher. Peter does all of his best work when he has the height advantage.</p>
<p>But that’s not what happens-- when the web adheres, his shoulder rips out of its socket and he’s careening downward once more. He accepts it, at this point, that he might die. </p>
<p>It’s kind of embarrassing to die by doing something that he does every day, he thinks. It’s almost as embarrassing that he isn’t even that high off ground. Wait. He isn’t even that high off the ground.</p>
<p>When he does hit the pavement, it’s less of a splat and more of a crack. A new kind of weakness runs through him as the adrenaline slightly comes off of its high-- a weakness that Peter suspects might not have much to do with his recent fall.</p>
<p>He’s fallen - been dropped, even - from much higher with fewer consequences. It’s hitting him now, that he might actually be just a scared little kid in a spider suit.</p>
<p>Peter’s vision is the next thing to go, the clarity leaves his peripheral vision first before the haze quickly fills in the center. He can no longer hear Beck from a block away, and strangely, that’s the hardest part.</p>
<p>He used to be a spider on a web, tapping into the vibrations and disturbances to know where the danger is. But that’s gone, too, he realizes as a car nearly runs him over in the street. His sense would have told him about that, except that maybe his sense isn’t there anymore.</p>
<p>Peter’s chest starts to heave, and maybe he is just a kid because only kids cry. Besides, that’s what everyone calls him, like Mr. Stark and Bucky and Sam--</p>
<p>Speaking of the devil who wears wings and carries a shield, he has just flown into Peter’s vision like a blurry moving blob. “Yo, kid! Get to safety, okay. Bucky and I have got this.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Peter mumbles, despite his want to protest. But he knows that he is in no condition to fight. He’d just be a detriment to those that had come to help.</p>
<p>His anxiety runs rampant as he blindly stumbles a block north to Delmar’s bodega - he is so, so lucky that he is in the neighborhood.</p>
<p>Mr. Delmar had suspected that Peter identity as Spider-Man way before the identity reveal incident after London. But it comes in handy now, not having a secret identity - he is able to walk in and ask to use the phone without much stuttering. </p>
<p>Strangely, when he does ask to use the phone, Mr. Delmar doesn’t have many questions. </p>
<p>“Hey, uh, Mr. Stark?” he croaks, “I need you to grab me from the bodega on twenty-first avenue.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>x</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It’s like a sucker punch to the gut when Peter finds out that Karen was the one to contact Sam, Bucky, and Wanda to complete the battle due to Peter’s inability to do so. She also contacted Tony, who was told when it was safe to come grab Peter.</p>
<p>Tony rolls up next to the bodega not long after the conclusion of the fight, his brows furrowed and his face in a scowl.</p>
<p>Peter opens the car door - it actually took a few tries, as Peter isn’t used to the force it takes to open that type of thing for a normal person - it actually doesn’t take much strength, but it’s way more than Peter is used to.</p>
<p>“Kid, what is going on?”</p>
<p>Peter takes a deep breath, and the fear he had been holding at bay because of Mr. Delmar and the citizens in the bodega comes pouring out in the exhale.</p>
<p>“I think I lost my powers.”</p>
<p>“You… you-- what?”</p>
<p>He looks at his hand and flexes his fingers. “It’s like everything that I have been relying on for the past two years of my life is gone. I feel-- I feel really weak, Tony. I had no instincts in the back half of that fight.”</p>
<p>“What do you need?”</p>
<p>Peter taps his foot, appreciating that the question isn’t asking if he’s okay. He’s had way too much of that recently. He tries to put a brave face on for Tony, just like he did for the people in Delmar’s.</p>
<p>He thinks that he’s nothing without Spider-Man, and the most important thing is finding out where those powers have gone.</p>
<p>“I need to know what’s wrong with me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>x</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hold your tongue out and say ‘ah’ for me, Peter,” Dr. Banner says, using a tongue compresor to look into Peter’s mouth.</p>
<p>Tony paces the MedBay room with his arms crossed, his breath short and forceful. Peter is so nervous that he’s shaking.</p>
<p>Dr. Banner scribbles something on his clipboard with a sigh. “There seems to be nothing physically wrong with you. The blood test came back the same as your blood tests from before.”</p>
<p>“What?” Peter asks, pushing up his glasses, at the same time Tony looks up in shock and horror. </p>
<p>“But, I did check the baby monitor footage and asked Karen a few questions. She says that Beck was no longer using BARF to create his illusions, rather this gas that creates extremely strong hypnotic and hallucinogenic properties.”</p>
<p>“So… he made me think I don’t have powers? Then how come I feel so weak?”</p>
<p>“He embedded the drug into your brain like a trigger word. You’re gonna have to work on erasing it.”</p>
<p>“Like Bucky? But he’s been working so hard with Shuri to get rid of his trigger words and it’s still taken years to--”</p>
<p>“Bucky has decades of coding to get rid of, so that takes a lot longer. Peter, I promise that you’ll be back to fighting crime in no time. In fact, I texted him, and Bucky offered to help you.”</p>
<p>“Bucky would… help me?”</p>
<p>“Of course he would,” Dr. Banner chuckles, “We all love the youngest Avenger.”</p>
<p>Relief shines through in Tony’s eyes when he sees how nonchalant Dr. Banner is. He’s still a little hesitant of Bucky, but he knows the man isn’t dangerous despite the anxeity in the back of his head. Besides, Tony would do anything to help his kid. </p>
<p>Still looking to clarify, Tony clears his throat. “But he will be okay, right?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Tony. He’ll be alright. I’m sure it’ll be hard for him to adjust to this right now, but I’d say the coding will be gone in a week or two with a few sessions.”</p>
<p>“So basically,” Peter smiles, “You guys can’t ask me to open any pickle jars for two weeks.”</p>
<p>Tony rolls his eyes, but is glad deep down that Peter is joking around. “Yes, Peter, you’re off pickle duty. Guess I’ll just use the Iron Man suit to handle the hard to open jars.”</p>
<p>“But you’re retired!”</p>
<p>“Hm,” Tony sticks out his bottom lip, “I guess I am. But hey, you get to experience the retired life with me.”</p>
<p>“As long as you don’t make me knit, that sounds wonderful as long as it’s only for a little while.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>incoherent plot threads ftw! lmao</p>
<p>hope you enjoyed! come talk to me on <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/icymapletree">tumblr</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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